Clifty Falls State Park

Clifty Falls is one of the most beautiful sites in Indiana, the falls sit atop the Clifty Canyon gorge that runs south into the Ohio River. Big Clifty is sixty feet and there are three other falls that top sixty feet as well. There are many other cascades and rivulets that grace the park making it an amazing place to visit after a hard rain.

The spring brings out an incredible display of wildflowers followed by fall colors that paint the canyon walls and hillsides with such a broad brush of color that many people leave the park with a sense amazement.

Try visiting Clifty Falls one weekend it’s a wonderful place for hiking and has a great campground. Madison Indiana is just a couple miles away and is a wonderful place to stay and visit as well.

Dark Sunrise

I captured this along the Ohio River this past fall. Usually sunrise images contain quite a bit of color but this one seemed to scream for a black and white conversion and I was happy to oblige.

The Ohio River has always seemed to present me with many wonderful compositions over the years and this one didn’t disappoint. The hours I have spent walking the riverfront looking for just that right image has always been a favorite past time of mine and hopefully it will be something I can continue for a long time.

There are so many moods that the river displays and no two sunrises are the same, if you happen to be in Madison Indiana you certainly couldn’t do better than taking a sunrise walk along the river and enjoy one the rivers beautiful moods !!

The Monarch Migration

The Monarchs are now in full migration along the northern tier of the United States, I have seen incredible images of monarch roosts from Kankakee Sands in northwest Indiana . Maybe this year I will finally find that roost where thousands of these amazing creatures stay and feed together for a few days.

Even though the migration hasn’t reached our area there are many monarchs that are now emerging from their Chrysalis and will be joining their fellow butterflies on their journey to the mountains of central Mexico.

I captured these image tonight at KDH Health. there must have been fifty flying around the fields just waiting for their time to leave. The grounds here at the Hospital I work at are covered in Goldenrod and it is just about at peak bloom. Goldenrod is one of the most important nectar sources for the monarch as they travel south.

So now is the time to get outdoors and enjoy the sights of nature especially these wonderful winged jewels before they are gone !!

Monarchs and their journey home

There is nothing more beautiful than warm summer evening light, especially when it bathes the Monarchs and the wildflowers that they love to nectar on this time of the year . The butterflies are winding down now here in Madison Indiana but the Monarchs are just gearing up for their incredible journey south.

It’s hard to believe that these delicate translucent wings will carry some of these little miracles of nature three thousand miles to the mountains of central Mexico from the fields of Southern Indiana. It is truly amazing that these monarchs know the way to the overwintering sites even though this migrating generation has never before been to Mexico.

Soon the Goldenrod will bloom and help nourish them for their long epic flight back to the mountains of Mexico.

Hope you enjoy my images of butterflies especially the Monarch and hopefully we can help conserve this beauitufl species !!

Clifty Falls Wildflowers…Trout Lily

Another great wildflower that grows in our area is the Trout Lily. Found in large clusters this beautiful little flower gets it’s name for the trout like pattern on the leaves of the newly emerging wildflower.

The trout lily sprouts and flowers in early spring, before new tree leaves grow. Plants grow from a white bulb that have a tooth-like shape. This wildflower will usually grow when underground rhizomes spread and form clusters or colonies. Mature plants also spread by seeds. Ants can scatter the seeds, eating part of the seed and leaving the rest to germinate. And some trout lily colonies can be 200 to 300 years old.

The plants are found in woodland habitats and moist hillsides the stamens can either be yellow or black and can be quite large for such a small plant. The Trout Lily is just another great example of all the wonderful wildflowers that are on display right now just waiting for you to view.